Aim: 1. To encourage the girls to give cheerfully to others.
2. To remind girls that God gave us the costliest gift of all.
INTRODUCTION
Have a selection of options available so that the girls can choose
what they are going to make as a gift and who they are going to give
their gift to.
Individual people like Grandma, a neighbour, elderly housebound etc. can be
chosen or groups like Mother and Toddler Groups, Residential Homes, Nursing
Homes, local Department of Elderly Medicine, Disabled Clubs, Hospices, Special
Needs Schools, etc.
The range of gifts is limited only by available resources and the girls’ talents. In
your gift selection have some articles which are relatively simple and require a
limited skill level and others which demand higher ability. You should also include
items which are suitable for men and women, young and old.
There is no need for each girl to make an individual gift.
It can be, where appropriate, a group effort.
Once a choice of option is decided upon, the required material and
equipment should be obtained.
Spend some time working on the selected articles stressing the fact that the
work put into the items must be of the highest standard so that the recipients
are given the very best that is possible.
The following suggestions may be of use but many ideas can be found in Craft
Books and Magazines.
DUSTY SPECS
You will need:
Inexpensive dusters; oddments of black
and white felt; UHU glue.
To Make: Cut 13cm x 10cm (5” x 4”) from duster. Place two together and
machine round edge leaving small opening. Turn right side out. Slip-stitch
opening. Cut large white felt ovals and smaller black ovals for eyes. Glue in place.
BAGS OF FUN
You will need: Scraps of plain fabric and felt; UHU glue.
To Make: Cut a piece of fabric 46 cm x 23 cm (18” x 9”) and two handles each
25cm x 5cm (10” x 2”). Fold large piece in half across length and machine sides to
make bag. Turn right side out. Fold handle strips in half down length, turning in
raw edges. Machine. At the top of the bag, press under 5mm (1/3”) and 1.5cm
(5/8”) hems and tuck in handles. Machine a double row of stitching through hem
and handles to secure. Complete with a colourful picture cut from felt and glued
in position.
SOAP STARS
You will need: Soap, ribbon; coloured cellophane; net.
To Make: Cut out a circle of cellophane and place the soap in the centre. Gather
up and tie with ribbon, or make a bag from net, insert soap, fold over edge and tie
with ribbon.
SWEET BUNDLES
You will need: Sweets; scraps of net; ribbon.
To Make: Cut out a circle of organza or net with pinking shears. Place sweets,
toffees, sugared almonds, wrapped chocolates in centre, gather up and tie with
ribbon.
BUSY BAGS
Use an appropriate selection of odds and ends to make up
hobby kits or emergency packs. Tie up kits in polythene food
bags and label them brightly. The following ideas are always
popular, especially with kids!
Desk Kit:
Envelopes, paper clips, rubber bands, sticky labels.
Pompoms:
Oddments of wool, card rings.
Patchwork
Squares of pretty fabrics.
Applique:
Oddments of lace, ribbon, leather or felt.
Odd Jobs: Sandpaper, nails, screws, cup hooks, paintbrushes.
Plant Growing: Compost, plastic pots, fruit pips to grow your own trees.
PAINT MATE
Size to fit 2 to 3 year old child.
You will need: A piece of fabric 40 cm x 90 cm (16” x 36”);
oddment of white cotton fabric and fabric crayons or an oddment of brightly
printed cotton fabric for pocket; 60 cm (23”) of bias binding; 20 cm (8”) of 2 cm
(3/4”) wide elastic; matching threads; metric graph paper.
Cutting out: Fold the metric graph paper in half and copy the outline of the
tabard apron onto paper, placing shoulder edge to fold of paper. Unfold paper.
Fold fabric in half and cut out tabard shape with the centre front/back edges
placed on fold of fabric. Draw up and cut one pocket shape.
To Make: Neaten side and bottom edges of tabard with machine stitched hems.
Stitch bias binding round neck edge to neaten. Decorate the pocket (if using plain
fabric). Turn under a double 5 mm (1/4”) hem along top edge of pocket and stitch.
Turn under 1 cm (3/8”) round remaining edges of pocket and press. Position
pocket centrally on tabard front, 2 cm (3/4”) up from hem edge. Stitch in place
round curved edges. Cut elastic in half. Stitch on either side, half-way down
tabard, to link front and back.
After spending time working on the articles, arrange for them to be presented to
the recipients at a suitable occasion. The girls can make an attractive card if they
are not personally giving the gifts.
GIFTS FOR GIVING
Discussion points:
V Is it better to receive a gift or give a gift?
V How do you feel when someone gives you a present?
V What is good about making something yourself and then giving
it to that special person?
V What would you prefer, a present someone bought or one that
they had made?
V A bought present may be more expensive but a hand made gift
may be more personal.
Here are some scriptures about gifts and giving:
Proverbs 18:16
A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the
great.
Matthew 2:11
Then they opened their treasures and presented them
with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
Acts 20:35
It is more blessed to give than receive.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly
or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver.
Matthew 10:8
Freely you have received, freely give.
☺
The Bible continually reminds us that God our Father gave us the gift of life.
Although we allowed sin to mess up this gift our Father sent His Son, Jesus,
to give us the gift of forgiveness. This was the costliest gift of all for it cost
Jesus His life.
☺
In making a gift for someone we care about we tell them how special they are
to us.
☺
When Jesus died on the cross He told us that we are special to Him.
Resources:
Gifts to Make for Special Occasions - Lyn Orton - Hamlyn
The Book of Gifts - The Australian Women’s Weekly.